You Can Start a Revolution

Overview

For years I woke up every day and looked in the mirror. I used to hate everything that stared back at me. From my overweight body to my hair to my skin. I always wanted to be skinnier and be considered one of the pretty people. It wasn’t until I made it to college that saw beauty within myself. I also started to see the beauty in my outer appearance as well. It was all because I realized that I would probably never fit societies standards of beauty. Even if I did lose weight, my natural hair and imperfect skin and gaped teeth would keep me from fitting that mold. I came to the realization that my beauty isn’t up to others to acknowledge. How I feel about myself is up to me. In a world full of people who claim you aren’t the right shape, size, or color, loving yourself is a revolutionary act. However, every day is a battle to remember that.

Over my holiday I went to see The Greatest Showman. I knew it was a musical so I was extremely excited for it. Nothing could have prepared me for how much it would affect me. The movie is about P.T. Barnum, a showman, who rose to fame with a circus in the late 1800s. The movie was meant to show Barnum’s rise and fall and acceptance of people who have unique oddities. While Barnum is not believed to have been as virtuous as the movie made him seem, the story told was a beautiful one. Therefore, I am looking at the movie as fiction instead of a retelling. It is a beautiful story that accepts people as they are. A man who towers over everyone at 7 ft tall, a woman who is able to grow a full beard, and a man whose overgrown hair causes for him to resemble a dog. One of the best lines of the movie comes from a secondary character, but the line is so important. “It became a celebration of humanity.” This line defined the film because it was exactly that. The circus became a stage for all of the people who didn’t fit in with society. It became a haven for the uniquely beautiful. I cried during the musical number “This Is Me” which is performed by Keala Settle. To accept every little piece of yourself without regret is revolutionary. The musical number “This is Me” anthem about accepting who you are and telling the world to follow suit.

This positive reinforcement of self-love is something that many could stand to hear and learn from. This kind of reinforcement has become mainstream with the body positive movement. Some believe that the movement is one that encourage people to over eat and to embrace obesity. That’s not the case. It encourages self-love. It encourages those who don’t fit beauty standards to accept their bodies for what they are; beautiful and deserving of love. If on chooses to lose weight for health reason, then they should feel confident enough to do so. That is what the movement is all about. Giving men and women the confidence needed to make changes in their lives as they see fit. Most don’t have the confidence to step in to a gym. The gym is a scary place. People have become afraid of ridicule because despite finally trying to fix what everyone says is wrong, they are still ridiculed. Gyms have become places for already fit people, not people who would like to become healthier. The point of body positivity is to find that confidence. It’s to find the love for their body within their own heart and mind.

This article is for everyone who still battles their own demons. You are more than just an outward appearance. You are joy and life and everything great that this world has to offer. Don’t base your value in a society that can’t see that. As a people we are often blind to what life can really bring us because we are often preoccupied with trying to capture what we believe will do that. From your lips to your eyes to your stomach to the thighs that rub together when you walk- that is beauty. Too look in the mirror and to love what you see looking back at you is a revolution. Accept your body. Accept yourself. It’s no one else’s job but your own.

Brianna Milon– Is a senior at the College at Brockport studying Journalism and Broadcasting. Buffalo is where I, my 5 siblings, and my mom call home. I love reading and writing. I’d rather be at home watching a Marvel movie than around people.